Verve Wireless, which provides mobile publishing technologies to local media companies, has revealed that it has signed the Chicago Sun-Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Time Out Chicago, Time Out New York and Metro International as partners. The publications join over 140 other local media properties, including eight of the largest media properties in the US, as Verve partners. Verve says that its local mobile network now covers the top 200 designated market areas across America. Additionally, Verve has launched a new mobile couponing application for publishers that utilizes location-based technologies. 
Verve is a wireless technology developer that provides applications and services to local media companies and publishers. Using Verves proprietary publishing and mobile advertising system, these local content partners can extend their communities and readership onto mobile phones, as well as using their local ad sales teams knowledge, and existing relationships with local businesses, to offer mobile ad solutions. National brand advertisers can leverage Verves ad platform to target mobile consumers based on a variety of targeting parameters, ranging from regional down to local neighbourhood level.
Verve says that traffic on over 1,000 local mobile sites under its management is growing at a rate of more than 375% per month. The Verve Wireless network has an average of 1 million daily page views, and the company has served over 1.5 million local mobile ads to date.
The mobile couponing application enables local publishers to offer their advertisers another way to reach customers. The application is based onVerves SMS push alerts, but incorporates new functionality, as well as targeting features that use location-based technologies.Advertisers can send out coupons based on a variety of options, including time of day, neighbourhood radius, users present location, and context, among others. Coupons are redeemed at the place of business just like a print coupon.
We have community businesses that have been advertising with us for years, and they are always looking for ways to drive customers into their place of business, says Tim Repsher, Managing Director of Mobile Product & Business Development at Media General. They are embracing mobile advertising because it complements their other advertising efforts; it can be measured and it is comparable to other marketing methods that they are familiar with. They see how a mobile coupon campaign, delivered at a precise time, to a specific area and audience, generates real store traffic.